The 10th Kingdom: The Tale Continues work title
by hotanuri
Summary: I'd like to say that Wolf and I lived happily ever after, but our lives were almost immediately interrupted by another crisis in the kingdoms. That is this story...
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

(disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters of the 10th Kingdom. I only wish to write what I think happened for the enjoyment of others and myself, since I love to write. Isn't that what fan fiction is about?)

* * *

The woods were quiet under the moonlit sky. There were no owls hooting, or raccoons rummaging in the bushes. It was as if the wildlife knew that this was a night best not to be seen, for fear of being a witness to any happenings that might occur.

It just so happened that this was such a night. For through the woods a lone figure walked, cloaked in a dark red cape that covered their entire form. The moonlight cast the figure's face in shadows, but the height of the figure revealed a woman. She moved through the trees as if she had knowledge of the path she was taking. She didn't use the cleared road, for she was desperate not to be seen by anyone this night.

She continued on, stepping over fallen trunks and taking care not to get snagged on broken tree limbs and hanging vines. She came to a clearing in the middle of the woods, the recent full moon hanging high above her head. She stopped, her breathing becoming more erratic as her nerves began to take over.

She turned quickly on her heels, the hood of her cloak falling away, revealing a young woman whose cheeks were red from her late night run in the cold. Her golden hair glittered under the light of the pale moon, falling in curls against her shoulders. Her blue eyes searched the trees, her ears aching for any sound.

Just as quietly as if he were a shadow, a tall man appeared from behind the very place she was staring. His black hair was wild, reaching down his jaw line to his chin. The cloaked lady seemed pale compared to his tanned skin, and his yellow eyes seemed to glow on their own. He moved his head in such a way that he seemed to be sniffing the air, like a child does when they smell something delicious in the oven.

He sighed in a lustful way. "How you torture me so, my sweet, by coming here." He took a step forward, his feet not making a sound on the fallen leaves. "You know well that you are my only mate. Yet you reject me and married another." His movements were slow while he circled her, as if she were his prey. "Why would you come here when you told me you would not be mine?"

"I'm sorry," she answered, not looking at him as he moved around her, "but I thought I had explained myself the last time we talked."

"Yes, yes, you said I was not suitable enough to be your husband. I was too wild, you said. You were just trying to be nice, my dear. You didn't want to admit that your family wouldn't accept a wolf as your husband." He stopped behind her, almost growling the last part of his statement.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't tried to eat my grandmother and me when I was younger," she retorted, still not moving from her spot.

He huffed, reaching out to touch her soft curls. "But that didn't hold you back from giving your love to me."

"I was a foolish young girl back then."

He nearly tugged on her hair, and she gasped a little. "You are foolish still if you think you can come here and expect me to be hospitable." He stepped closer, lifting her locks to his nose and breathing in her scent. "Do you know how much I long for you? How you haunt my every dream?"

Her body shuddered at his breath on her neck, his hands in her hair. "Stop," she said, but it only came out as a pleading whisper.

"You know we belong together. We wolves mate for life."

"But I am not a wolf. I am a married woman."

He puffed, letting go of her hair. "Yes, no doubt a husband your family approves of? I have heard that you married the woodcutter that wanted my head. How ironic."

"You're bad for me," she replied, turning her head as he stepped around to face her.

"That's why they call me the Big Bad Wolf." He smiled cunningly, taking a step closer. He stopped suddenly, his nose picking up a new scent that seemed to be hidden until now. He looked at her curiously, almost angrily. "What's under your cloak?"

She sighed, starting to fear his anger. She shifted her shoulders, revealing her arms which had been under the cloak the entire time. A tiny bundle lay in her arms, and she could hear the peaceful sound of a sleeping baby.

The wolf's eyes widened as he stared at the little babe. He could tell right away it was a boy, with tussled black hair and a defined little nose. He looked up from the baby to her face, finally meeting her eyes. "You failed to let me know you were having my child?"

"I thought he was my husband's," she answered, starting to sound frantic. "We were only together once, and I didn't think anything of it, until…" Her voice trailed off, catching in her throat.

"Until the full moon last night," he finished for her.

She nodded. "My husband thinks that the baby died this morning from a fever. I couldn't tell him the truth." She extended her arms out, motioning for him to take their son.

He looked at her in shock and anger. "You would willingly give up the child we made from our love?"

"I do not love you!" she shouted, breaking the silence of the forest. Startled birds flew from the trees near the clearing, and a wondering raccoon scampered off in fear.

He held her eyes for a moment, searching for any last hope. She broke away from his gaze, hiding the tears that were forming.

"You are a bad liar," he growled, taking the babe into his own arms. He lifted the tiny face to his, breathing in the fresh baby scent. "Don't worry," he whispered to the sleeping babe, "you won't know anything of the mother who abandoned you."

She turned sharply, shocked at his declaration. He glared at her angrily, and ran off into the dark, leaving her to her tears.

* * *

(AN: Well, this is just the start of what's been in my head for years. I've always wondered what would have happened if they wrote more, or filmed a continuation. Now after having my own baby girl and reading more, my creativity has been coming in waves, and this is where it's brought me. Don't worry, my other works aren't forgotten.)


	2. Chapter One

**The Tenth Kingdom: The Tale Continues**

_Chapter One_

(disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters of the 10th Kingdom. I only wish to write what I think happened for the enjoyment of others and myself, since I love to write. Isn't that what fan fiction is about?)

* * *

_New York City, 1:27 AM_

The trees of Central Park seemed dwarfed in comparison to the Disenchanted Forrest. Growing up, Virginia had always marveled at the forest in the middle of the city, but now, she was unimpressed. She had been taught to never go out alone, especially at night, because bad things lurked in the shadows of the trees. But now, she scoffed at the thought of a mugger or flasher waiting to scare her. Virginia felt safer now, walking along the sidewalks after midnight. Of course, it also helped that her new fiancé was right beside her, holding her hand ever so lovingly.

"We can't stay in the Park again tonight," he said, looking up into the starless sky. Wolf missed the twinkling night, which was blocked out by the magical lights of Virginia's home kingdom. "It will be too cold, and huff puff, I will not have you and our little pup freeze."

Virginia's hand brushed against her lower abdomen as he spoke. She still couldn't believe that she was actually pregnant. Of course, she was barely two weeks along, and the only reason she knew was because of Wolf's animal instincts.

"I don't mind it," she replied. "Don't you like snuggling up next to me?"

Wolf playfully growled at her teasing, pulling her close so that he could nuzzle against her neck. "Of course I love to," he whispered, lightly nipping at her ear. "But as the leader of our little pack, I want to ensure your wellbeing while our little furry son grows."

Virginia giggled and tried to pull away from the ticklish sensations. "And how do you know it's a boy? It could very well be a girl, you know."

"I'm a wolf. I know."

"So you say," she continued, smiling up at him. "But how funny it would be if your 'furry little son' came out a cute, curly headed girl."

"I could have really startled you and said you were having a whole litter," Wolf replied. His dark eyes glittered when she saw her smile disappear. "But don't worry. There's only one. We'll take our time making a pack."

"Wolf…"

* * *

_4__th__ Kingdom, King Wendell's Castle, 8:01 AM _

Tony Lewis looked down the long dining table, winking at the beautiful young blonde who was smiling at him. The last two weeks, he had been living in the lap of luxury: grand parties that lasted until the wee hours of the morning; lavish dinners with beautiful maidens who were fawning over his heroism; sleeping in a bed of soft feather down and silky sheets.

But he would not easily forget how he had come to be here. King Wendell had called him 'heroically transformed,' and Tony knew it was true. He had endured a lot to get where he was now. But it wouldn't hurt to become a little spoiled, would it?

Wendell cleared his throat, claiming Tony's attention. "Enjoying yourself, Antony?" he whispered, a smile gracing his regal lips.

Tony smiled, taking one last glance at the flirtatious woman. "Yes, your majesty," he replied, now eyeballing the breakfast plate that was laid before him. "You were right about the fair maidens."

"I must warn you," Wendell whispered, leaning closer, but trying not to draw attention to their conversation. "Some of your new found female attention will dwindle over the next week."

Tony frowned a little, in spite of the delicious food he had just bit in to. "Why is that?"

Wendell sighed slightly. "Because my counselors have started the process of finding a queen."

Tony looked at him curiously. "Don't tell me you're going to have an arranged marriage. I thought you people believed in falling in love and living happily ever after."

"Of course we do. But being a King, there are some precautions I must take before choosing a bride. We still live in dark times, Antony. One must be careful about who they love."

Tony scoffed. "That's the truth."

Wendell didn't hear what Tony had muttered, but decided against questioning him. "I would appreciate your advice during this ordeal," he whispered, starting to turn his attention towards his breakfast. "Meet us at midday in the South Wing."

_4__th__ Kingdom, NNW border, 8:02 AM_

Cold. So very cold.

The poor lad shivered beneath his thin clothing, rubbing his blue-tinted skin as he struggled to run towards the gravel road ahead. He was grateful for the sun that was now shining over the rolling hills, its light kissing his frozen skin. It was almost painful, but he welcomed it, because pain meant he still had feeling.

A carriage appeared over the hill, a very elaborate one at that. It was headed towards him, and he tried to hasten his steps, despite the one numb leg he was almost dragging. He tried to wave his arms to catch the driver's attention, but he could barely lift his arms above his head.

"Help!" he finally managed to scream. "Help me!"

The driver's head turned, and seeming shocked, he pulled the reigns hard, the carriage abruptly stopping. The door to the carriage was thrown open, and a pompously dressed man stepped out, looking quite angry. "Why in the fairing forest have we stopped?" he shouted at the driver.

"That boy is calling for help, sir," he replied, pointing up the hill. "He appears to be hurt."

The man turned sharply on his heels, pushing his tall hat back off of his forehead so he could see better. "Well, what is a young lad doing out here? The nearest town is a mile from here, in the 2nd Kingdom."

"Help!" the boy called again, and the two gentlemen gasped as he suddenly fell face first, and rolled down the hill.

The richly dressed man seemed to forget his superior ways and ran towards the boy, followed closely by his driver and footman. They found him lying on his back, and he seemed to be shivering. The man sighed with relief, since it was a sign he was still alive. He went to pick up the lad, and was surprised at how cold he felt.

"Bring the carriage closer, driver!" he commanded, and his servants quickly obeyed. Once inside the carriage, the man quickly wrapped the boy in whatever he could find.

"Young man? Can you hear me?"

The boy whimpered, no doubt from pain.

"Son, can you tell me your name?"

The boy coughed, still shivering. "T-Thomas."

"Thomas, I need to know what happened to you," the man continued, trying to ensure the boy remained conscious.

"S-so c-cold," he replied, still shaking despite the blankets and coats wrapped around him.

"How did you get so icy, Thomas?"

"Th-they did it."

The man looked at him questioningly. "Who are they, Thomas?"

Thomas's teeth could be heard knocking against each other. "They attacked us. They f-froze the village!" He coughed, and tried to go on. "They s-said it was j-just the b-beginning. Th-that this was w-war!"

Thomas' head dropped back then, and the man's eyes widened in fear. But a sudden shiver through the boy's body reassured him that he was still alive. "Driver!" he yelled, banging on the roof. "To King Wendell's palace, and don't let nothing stop you!"

* * *

_New York City, 9:22 AM_

Virginia had looked forward to returning home. There she could change her clothes from those she had been wearing for nearly two months. The palace maids had done an excellent job cleaning all evidence of her travels from her outfit, but it would be nice to have options again. Wolf was also anxious to see more pictures of Virginia, especially as a child.

But when they arrived at the familiar apartment building, Virginia was shocked with what she found. The halls were overrun with people she did not recognize, all of them doing some sort of repair work or cleaning.

"Ah, it's the master's daughter!"

Virginia turned at the familiar voice, confusion reflecting on her face. Master?

Murray crawled towards her on his knees, falling face first at her feet and kissing her boots. She took a step back, startled at the man's sudden change of character. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, Mistress!" Murray answered, the words flowing from him like honey. "We are so happy to see you! We haven't seen Master since the police took him away from us."

Virginia looked around, expecting to be on some hidden camera show. Then she noticed the look on Wolf's face. "Why do I have this gut feeling you have something to do with this?"

Wolf smiled sheepishly, scratching at his head in that familiar canine way. "I think this must be one of the results from old Tony's wishes."

"Mistress," Murray interrupted, pulling on the hem of her skirt. "Where is the Master? Is he alright?"

"Yes," Virginia answered, stepping back. "He's fine."

Wolf leaned towards her, whispering in her ear. "If it's fine with you, I think I would be comfortable staying somewhere else."

Virginia nodded, feeling more than a little more than unnerving by the apartment owner's behavior.

After promising they would return with orders from her father, they were finally able to make it out of the apartment building and back out into the busy city. They wandered around for a while, not having any money to pay for a taxi ride. But Virginia didn't mind walking places, since most of her previous traveling had been on foot.

"What about your grandmother's house?" Wolf suggested.

Virginia laughed sarcastically. "Oh yes. She'll be more than happy to welcome us, what after you tried to eat her."

Wolf whimpered. "I said I was sorry about that. I wasn't really going to eat her, anyway. She didn't have any meat on her. Would have tasted like old cigarettes and alcohol. Hardly even a snack."

"I hope that wasn't your idea of an apology."

They eventually decided to try her grandmother's, and Virginia dug through her small backpack for her keys. "I can't believe I still have these," she said, smiling to herself.

As they walked through the door and towards the elevator, the doorman who smiled at them suddenly called out. Virginia turned, wondering what was wrong.

"Miss, are you here to see your grandmother?" he asked as they approached the front desk.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"Well, miss. It's your grandmother. She's not here."

Virginia gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no…did she pass?"

The man shook his head, and she sighed with relief.

"Well, about a week ago, you see, we had to call her doctor. They took her to the hospital for the mentally ill."

"What?"

The doorman looked around, as if to check for any eavesdroppers. He knew this building was full of old women who just loved a new piece of gossip. "She was ranting and raving that your fiancé tried to cook her in the oven."

Wolf swallowed a huge lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

"Well," Virginia finally responded, trying to smile. "Thank you for looking out for my grandmother's mental health. And as you can see, my fiancé wouldn't hurt a fly. Isn't that right, sweet heart?"

Wolf gave one of his charming smiles, nodding his head. "That's right. Even if it was trying to go after my bacon sandwich, I would not dare hurt a fly."

The doorman looked at him curiously, and Virginia tugged at Wolf's arm and led him towards the elevator. Once the doors were shut, Virginia slapped his arm. "See what you've done!"

Wolf winced, frowning at her sudden outburst. "What? We don't have to worry about your drunken grandmother anymore, and we'll have a safe place to sleep now."

Virginia opened her mouth to argue, but found she had nothing to rebuttal with. "Well, it will be nice not having to hear her go on about how I could find someone better, especially someone rich."

Wolf simply rolled his eyes as he watched the electronic numbers ascend.

* * *

_4__th__ Kingdom, King Wendell's Castle, 12:01 PM_

Tony sauntered down the South Wing hallway, his hands in his coat pockets, whistling to himself. He wondered how Wendell's counselors would help find a queen for their king. Would they throw a ball and Wendell would dance with all the eligible ladies, like in the Cinderella story he would read to Virginia all those years ago? Or maybe it would be like a beauty pageant, and if that were the case, Tony hoped his part would be helping judge the fair maidens.

He could hear a commotion from the door near his left, and he noticed it was slightly open. The guards nodded in acknowledgement, and they opened the doors for Tony to enter.

"Thank you, boys," Tony smiled. And once he stepped into the room, he couldn't help but let a laugh out. "No way! Is this what I think it is?"

Wendell approached him, looking a little confused. "What is so funny, Antony?"

Tony stared in disbelief at the sight in front of him. "Please tell me this is not how you're going to select your Queen."

"This is just for the preliminaries," Wendell replied.

Tony laughed again. "You're kidding me."

"This is very serious. It is an old tradition, used by princes and kings for centuries." Wendell frowned, wondering why Tony thought it a funny process.

Tony shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's just… Well, I would read this story to Virginia when she was a little girl, but I never thought it would be real."

Tony craned his neck to look up at the piles of mattresses stacked on top of each other. The servants were using a pulley system to lift up the next mattress, and he counted twenty-one so far. "Is there really a pea under the first one?"

"It's actually the original pea."

Tony couldn't help but laugh again. "How is that possible?"

"It's magical, Antony. It has been preserved all these years only because of its magic. That's how it will help to thin out the ladies who are vying for a chance to be queen."

Tony smiled. "I guess that makes sense."

Suddenly the doors were thrown open, and a soldier from the front gates ran in, dropping to his knees when he approached Wendell.

"Your majesty!" he cried, bowing low and panting for breath.

"What is it, good man?" Wendell asked, sounding a little concerned.

'Your majesty, Sir Campton has arrived and is most urgent to speak with you and your counselors. It is an emergency, he claims."

Tony followed closely behind the small group of men as they made their way across the castle. The soldier led them outdoors, and Tony spied a man looking grief stricken, standing outside of a fancy carriage.

"King Wendell, your majesty! I have grave news."

"What is it, Sir Campton?"

The older man took a deep breath, clearly shaken, but trying to remain calm. "I was out for a joyride early this morning in the north-west part of your kingdom, when a young lad stopped us. He told me on the way here that he was from a village in the 2nd Kingdom, along the border near the sea."

"And you found him in my kingdom? What was he doing that far from home?"

"He was nearly frozen when we found him, your majesty. It took the last of his strength to tell me what happened."

Tony suddenly felt a heavy lump in his stomach. Looking around, he could see the usual chipper faces of the counsel men were now distressed.

"Frozen?" Wendell repeated, disbelief reflecting on his young face.

"Your majesty, the 8th Kingdom has declared war on the 2nd Kingdom."

* * *

((AN: Thank you for all the comments. Someone pointed something out to me, and I guess I may have confused some. The boy, Thomas, is from the 2nd Kingdom, and if you have access to the map of the 9 kingdoms, you will see that it borders the NNW of the 4th Kingdom. So it is the 2nd Kingdom under attack, and you will know more in the next chapter!))


End file.
